Congratulations! You just became the manager of a Vegas poker room!

[iron81]

I was keeping up with this thread, but I just thought of putting the waitlist on the internet. I see *TT* beat me to it. Again.

[Mano]

[ QUOTE ]
Everyone:

The room in question uses the QueOS electronic board system for poker room management. Does anyone know what the website for this company is, or if they have a SMS text message addon software package? There were many great suggestions in this thread, this may be the best of them all if it has not yet been implicated by the developer.

TT [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

Just did a google, and I believe this is their website.

[*TT*]

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I was keeping up with this thread, but I just thought of putting the waitlist on the internet. I see *TT* beat me to it. Again.

[/ QUOTE ]

actually I was looking for info on the paging module, I love the waiting list on the internet concept - that really could be the defining tool to encourage local players. Great idea - You've been promoted to SVP of Marketing. Welcome to executive level management, keep up the good work.

TT[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]

[52s]

This topic may have been started 5 days ago, but here I am logging onto 2+2 for the first time in a week, and clicking on it with great interest because my friend just DID become a manager of a poker room in Las Vegas, on the Strip no less.

Instead I read a few lines of TT's OP and realize right away it's another hackneyed attempt by the xxxxxxxxx management to figure out a way to be relevant.

And don't kid yourselves, it was obvious it was the xxxxxxxxx from the get-go without reading one reply.

Maybe they should worry about putting asses into the seats of all 40 tables and not making the room feel like a half-empty warehouse instead of going for the vanity of the 30/60, like, say, Caesars, which was packed this past weekend with 25 cash games going on Saturday.

So again, yawn.


note from TT - As stated at the start of this thread we don't want people trying to guess the room, it doesn't matter - in fact the room may not really exist! This is just an exercise to rethink the traditional marketing methods that Las Vegas poker rooms use. And for the record, your guess was totally wrong Mr. Smartypants - next time read the rules!

[Mano]

[ QUOTE ]

Don't know if any of these have been tried or not, but I really like the idea of having the tables and waiting lists available online.

[/ QUOTE ]

Following up on the idea of having the waiting lists online, you should be able to do alot with that. For instance, if you like to spread a 100/200 on Saturdays "if there is enough interest", you could have people book their spots in the game over the internet several days in advance. People could put their names on the waiting list along with a time that they are going to be there - could book various games like you do tee times at a golf course. People will be much more apt to come at a certain time if they know the game they want will be running.

You could have players use their Players Card to book the seats, and either revoke the privlege if they no-show too often, or give them an ebay-like rating.

You could also show which players are on the tables and lists either by using their names or handles like we use here, and all this info can automatically get filled in using a players card. People could also sign up for automated callbacks,emails, IM's or text messages whenever their desired game starts up, or whenever a game is scheduled. For instance you sign up to be informed whenever a big HE or PLO or HORSE game start up, or are scheduled to be started up. You may even allow players to try and get games scheduled (get an e-mail stating "Joe Blow has proposed starting a 5/10 PLO game on Saturday at 8:00 PM on Saturday and has invited you (or you have expressed an interest in such a game). Would you like to be added to the game?"

Lot's of possibilities using technology to give your cardroom a competitive edge.

[*TT*]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

Don't know if any of these have been tried or not, but I really like the idea of having the tables and waiting lists available online.

[/ QUOTE ]

Following up on the idea of having the waiting lists online, you should be able to do alot with that. For instance, if you like to spread a 100/200 on Saturdays "if there is enough interest", you could have people book their spots in the game over the internet several days in advance. People could put their names on the waiting list along with a time that they are going to be there - could book various games like you do tee times at a golf course. People will be much more apt to come at a certain time if they know the game they want will be running.

You could have players use their Players Card to book the seats, and either revoke the privlege if they no-show too often, or give them an ebay-like rating.

You could also show which players are on the tables and lists either by using their names or handles like we use here, and all this info can automatically get filled in using a players card. People could also sign up for automated callbacks,emails, IM's or text messages whenever their desired game starts up, or whenever a game is scheduled. For instance you sign up to be informed whenever a big HE or PLO or HORSE game start up, or are scheduled to be started up. You may even allow players to try and get games scheduled (get an e-mail stating "Joe Blow has proposed starting a 5/10 PLO game on Saturday at 8:00 PM on Saturday and has invited you (or you have expressed an interest in such a game). Would you like to be added to the game?"

Lot's of possibilities using technology to give your cardroom a competitive edge.

[/ QUOTE ]

I love the rating system concept, I am going to be in touch with Queue OS to recommend they add that to server software. This way players know based on other players timeliness if the game is likely to start. I think its fabulous! You have been promoted to director public relations - I don't know if this concept will ever be implemented, but you get a gold star for innovative thinking. Congratulations!

TT [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]

[52s]

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it doesn't matter - in fact the room may not really exist!

[/ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]
And for the record, your guess was totally wrong Mr. Smartypants - next time read the rules!

[/ QUOTE ]

Contradictory statements. Sweet. ::fistpump::

If it's the room across the street needing this, because, well, there's no other room in Vegas that would theoretically be possibly asking for this, then I'm highly disappointed in them.

[ QUOTE ]
This is just an exercise to rethink the traditional marketing methods that Las Vegas poker rooms use.

[/ QUOTE ]

Then using the example of "wanting to establish a 30/60 game within 6 months" is the wrong road to take, as the vast majority of rooms in Las Vegas, 90% of them let's say, are more wanting to put butts in the seats, no matter the game, instead of wanting some fake prestige of having a higher limit game.

Again, a friend of mine just became a manager of one of the rooms on the Strip, and I clicked on this topic looking for ideas for building a room in the circumstances from head to toe, and instead saw a vastly worthless topic given the poker circumstances of Vegas. Want higher limit games? Drive to LA. This is a tourist city. Just stating my opinion.

[Fish R Friends]

TT, you're drivin' me nuts. All I can do is think about ideas, creativity, and solutions. Nice hand sir.

As discussed gimmicks and jackpots do not necessarily work for what we want. Comps, I still think do. But chips, jackets, hats, etc. are passé.

Marketing approach: We need visibility. Saturate the market. But, as a business, we may have a limited budget.

We can’t really change our room physically by blowing out walls, adding lounges, creating bars, etc.

This is a fascinatingly tough problem. My suggestion was going to be that of technology. It is a must. The all over paging system works. My employer uses it and they can simultaneously e-mail, phone w/ recorded message, text, and fax if necessary whomever and everyone they want to or need to for whatever purpose. We can’t expect our poker players to take on the added responsibility of carrying something else. Good call on this use of technology.

What about adding it to closed-circuit-tv? Dedicate a channel to the poker room. We could have a rolling list of names, games, etc. playing. NO added cost to the casino as you can connect it to the card system as well. Put TVs in well traveled areas of the casino: bars, lounges, pits, sports book, etc. Maybe even connect the jumbo-tron outside to scroll the list of games/players in the loop with the other casino advertisement. At first this might be negative, but once we reach our goal of having a full room, it would be great.

For some added expense, you could get rid of the pamphlet idea and produce some “commercials/PSAs” for our very own poker channel. Heck these commercials can even be aired during the WPT / WSOP nationally. This is down the road, unless the VP can send an extra comma the way of the marketing department. We could advertise our new angle in the magazines.

Since we want to keep players in the room to avoid problems with lists, why not make some money at the same time and get them accustomed to the short handed game. How? Set up a row of several speed tables in the room. Yes, like the PokerDome-style tables. But, no waiting list as – first come first serve just like the blackjack tables. Players would kill time and be there to wait. Poker room makes money from even a small/reduced rake. We could even run a variety of levels. Foot traffic sees a game that’s familiar and less intimidating that they can jump right on to play.

Create a comp system that is weighted more heavily for the games 30/60 and above. Plus allow players with a better rating (the e-bay style) to use or transfer comps. Not sure if casinos offer this or not but, as an example. Vegas visitors like to play higher limits, but BRs are not always huge so, PRRs help as VV can play the cash instead of paying for a room. Heck, staying with a Vegas buddy at his house helps but the wife gets mad when drunks come home from a late night at the casino. A win-win would be to allow the Vegas poker playing buddy to get poker playing friends in town to play at that casino. Local players would have more incentive for loyalty as they can be rewarded and ego stroked as their buddies get the high roller treatment if they play poker. A regular could be a great advertiser and even poker recruiter with word of mouth and bringing in a friend every couple of months. No out of town friends, they could their bonus comps throughout the casino. The higher-limit player we want playing in our room have a wife/girlfriend. Transfer comps to spa packages. Bah, standard, right?

Finally, develop a relationship with travel agencies, travel websites, and poker rooms throughout the nation to pump our poker room and our perks. Agents with the most poker trip bookings during various periods get a nice trip to Vegas and luxury stay in our casino on us.

Perhaps, create a poker tourney that is multi-table, 6-max, limit, run qualifiers with many poker rooms across the country and have them come to our poker room for the big tourney finals, preceded by several qualifier days, and a focus on short handed games only during a two week period. Maybe even do this tourney bracket style with the qualifiers using numerous SNGs short-handed. This could be huge. Heck, even get a production crew into film it and sell it to stations threw out the country; we all know poker on TV still sells.

I may have recycled some ideas and stolen others but, those are my thoughts.

[RR]

[ QUOTE ]
Then using the example of "wanting to establish a 30/60 game within 6 months" is the wrong road to take, as the vast majority of rooms in Las Vegas, 90% of them let's say, are more wanting to put butts in the seats, no matter the game, instead of wanting some fake prestige of having a higher limit game.

[/ QUOTE ]

If a poker room is filled with low limit games it is doomed to be closed once the poker boom is over. As recently as 2001 poker rooms were being replaced with empty space because the casino didn't want the sort of people that low limit poker tables attract.

[tourney guy]

Pretty interesting thread....a few points here.

1) As the manager of a poker room, you have 3 goals:

A) Meet revenue projections
B) Comply with Gaming and internal rules
C) Meet revenue projections

All of the ideas sound great, but the problem if A) and C) are not met, you will be out like a trout.

Rooms like Wynn and Venetian used the 'give it all away to the players' approach, and while the rooms might be busy, they are not profitable......I can assure you of that!!!

(This is not a flame, so please do not be affended if you are a shill for W or V.....but fact is, those rooms make no money)

Or one can go the Caesars or Mirage room, give the players nothing.....those rooms are not very profitable either.

The key problem as I see it today is that Vice Presidents in these hotels all are chasing the Bellagio.

The want Bellagio revenue levels and they want Bellagio business levels.

Problem is they are not the Bellagio. They do not have carte blanche with the pros....the do not have 4 major poker tournaments a year that drive huge business...they do not have 20 year relationships with their clientele (dating back to Mirage) like the Bellagio does. They do not have a CEO who was a world champion like Bellagio does.

These factors make it almost impossible to succeed.

All I can tell you is that if you are a new Poker Room Manager, you need to try to do 3 things:

1) Get you annual goal set as low as possible, because all the hotel presidents want to beat the Bellagio in one year, and it ain't going to happen.

2) Make sure you hire floorpeople that know the rules and have a heart for service.

3) Sit the games that drop the money.....30/60 is a waste of time, and to get those level of players from the Bellagio, you are going to have to lose money, and trust me, you cannot afford that as a poker room manager.

Get thoughts like 'rakeback' and 'freerolls' out of your mind.

Finally - Hope you have a GM/VP who understands that beating the Bellagio is a pipe dream.